University Business - April 2006 - (Page 84)

END NOTE The New Snake-Oil Industry Private college admissions consultants must join with college admissions counselors and others to help families. By William H. Caskey S the background, quietly serving families, USTAINED BY ANXIETY AND we must realize the industry has changed. fortified by the internet, it is dili- Rather than focus solely on growing our gently weaving itself into the fabric of businesses, we must help families determine our everyday lives. Increasingly propelled by their need for a private counselor and select greed, it preys on the fear of families, espe- one with experience and fair fees. cially parents. It's the private, for-profit, col- We should also do more to join forces lege admissions consulting industry. Ben- with those who share our determination to efiting from the massive media attention help families college admissions officers and the sky-high anxiety that swirls around and high school counselors. Of course, this admissions today, the industry is exploding is easier said than done. Admissions officers in size. What had long been a collection of have long chosen to ignore or often justifi- local, relatively low-cost, home-based busi- ably criticize the consulting business. But nesses is morphing into a sleek industry it's time for them to recognize that this in- dominated by companies and individuals dustry is here to stay. As they crisscross the whose primary motivation is revenue. Consultants are deftly country each fall, they can play a crucial role Unfortunately, it's a familiar tale in the converting families' in educating families, providing them with for-profit education world. Take the billion- guidance on how to effectively make use of dollar test prep industry as an example. hope into cash. their high school counselors and on when The college consulting business has be- to seek out skilled private counselors. come a supernova, growing by 300 percent Tensions between high schools and pri- consequently does, hang out a shingle. It over the last five years. Even a quick search vate counselors aren't new, either. Many could be a young college grad establishing uncovers many websites promising stun- school counselors are put off by families a niche business by providing essay advice, ning results. Their brazenness is frightening. seeking outside help with this process. Still, an individual seeking a career change, or Hire them and your child will soon enter they must face the fact that private advi- an entrepreneur fashioning a glitzy website the Ivy League college of his or her choice. sors are being hired in record numbers by with the financial backing of hopeful inves- They deftly convert hope into cash. parents who feel they need more assistance tors. Some consultants allege incredible suc- This field is increasingly dominated by than the high schools can offer. And coun- cess rates at the most selective colleges. Of corporate backers eager for a return on their selors could help families in selecting out- course, there's no way to verify these claims. financial outlay. They pooh-pooh tradi- side admissions consultants. High costs are another concern. Some tional consultants who work with handfuls We have reached the tipping point in companies charge hundreds of dollars per of families. They seek far bigger profits, and the admissions consulting industry. Either hour. Amazingly, there's no correlation an offshoot of the business has appeared: we become known by families and fel- between cost and experience. Some of the Investors and their minions are populat- low educators as trusted and experienced most expensive consultants and internet ing websites with hip graphics and nominal resources, or we become the snake-oil companies have little on-the-job admis- online tools. They are reaching the masses, salespeople of the 21st century, known for sions expertise. Their websites are pur- relentlessly blazing new paths to profit. dubious promises, quack tonics, and em- posefully fuzzy about their backgrounds. Another alarming aspect of this consult- ploying anxiety to hoist our profits. ing business: It's an unregulated industry. A AT THE TIPPING POINT growing number of consultants appear to Skilled and veteran counselors like myself have little or no working experience in the William H. Caskey is an educational consultant must take action. Rather than linger in college admissions field. Anyone can, and and a former Ivy League admissions officer. 84 | April 2006 universitybusiness.com 48 ddni.6040tNdnE MA 35:41:11 60/42/3 http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - April 2006

Table of Contents
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Editor's Note
Stats Watch
People Watch
Sense of Place
On the Hill
Viewpoint
Future Shock
Financial Aid
Admissions
COVER STORY: Averting Housing Havoc
The Art of Reputation Building
Web Conferencing: Rich Media on the Desktop
All Rights Preserved
Admissions Messages vs. Admissions Realities
Internet Technology
What's New
Calendar of Events
Direct Connect
End Note

University Business - April 2006